The Duke of Edinburgh Silver practice tramp

I'm back! All my limbs are in tack too so that's a bonus.

Silver practice tramp is probably the hardest thing I've ever done.

Duke of Ed Bronze tramp was hard at the time because it was my first time travelling through rural hills with a heavy pack on. I thought my limbs were sore then but now that was just a warm compared to Silver.

I am now sitting in my bedroom covered in cuts, bruises and muscle pain. I'm still counting things I am thankful for but took for granted; running taps, flush-able toilets, chairs, dry feet, showers, shampoos, take-aways, dry clothes, a roof, my laptop and more.

I have never gone through anything that required so much physical and mental strength. I am so grateful of all the little things people did unintentionally that cheered me up; D making me hot coco, Suhail helping us with our tents (when I was going through an emo phase and wouldn't talk to anyone), Ck giving me some of his hotdog, Abbie fussing over me when I was a wreck on day two, Farah letting me hold onto her bag in the dark, sitting at the fire with Ashleen talking about our boys back home, Dwayne drying my jacket, Julie hand feeding me mac n' cheese or William giving me his window on the bus to sleep on. I was so happy to see my parents and they bought me KFC too. I almost died of joy. I spent a good half an hour standing in the shower and singing.

If you still want to stick around on this post I'll try and paint out my last three days.

The first day:
My pack was heavy but I was a battery pack full of energy. We rode a bus to Karangahake Gorge and set of in our teams. We were going at a good pace and making good time. I don't remember much of the beginning just that the condition was nothing to complain about. I kept my mind busy and keep telling myself that every step I took was a step further away from the starting point. We came to a fork in one of the path where another team was having their lunch break. No one in my team felt weak yet and we decided not to waste our energy and that walking on was best. The other team pointed us in the right direction. Well at least we thought it was the right direction since they told us with so much confidence until we had been walking for about 30 minutes without coming into contact with another soul. We just though maybe we were walking at a pretty fast pace so we kept going until we came across a mini river crossing which was not on our map. We started to worry and head back thinking if we really are on the right track we'd meet up with the team behind us. We didn't. Until we got back on the right path, we wasted a total of one hour.

Still my team was still in a good mood. We were annoyed at the other team because they obviously did not come our direction and figured it was wrong and went the right way. No one in their team came after us but I guess they must have been the one who sent a teacher. We weren't angry at them, annoyed yes but mostly frustrated at ourselves for taking their word for it without checking our map.

After lunch we kept walking and came across our first river crossing. The current wasn't very strong and level was up to our thighs at most (crotch for me because I'm a gnome). After that was the steep hill. Climbing it was pretty bad because we wasted an hour worth of energy. Still we hacked it and over came the hill. It took a while but we made it to the flat part of the route, or at least as flat as the tramp got. However that was when it started to get dark. It was the easiest part of the route but doing it in the dark was not. My knees felt like they were going to give out after all the climbing up and down the hill. I have weak knees by default and having to heave myself and a backpack for an hour straight isn't the best. Walking on the track I winged at every high or low step. The darkness forced us to go slower and wasting even more time.

Once we got to the camp site I was beyond miserable and didn't felt like talking for a long time. I cooked dinner by myself and only focused on that while the others got the tent ready. After I made the food and the tents were up, we ate together and I felt a bit better. The other team apologised for pointing us in the wrong direction, so that was nice of them even though the blame shouldn't be on them. I got ready to go to bed and knocked out pretty quick.

The second day:
In the morning when packing the tent away, they were wet, meaning carrying extra unnecessary weight. After breakfast we set off. The second day was to be the hardest as told by all the teachers and everyone who had went before us. However we started of great. Even though the hills were almost vertical at most points, I still forced myself to not think and just keep moving. It become impossible to do so when came close to the evening hours and I was covered in cuts from a previous path were was extremely narrow and the plants that grew there was prickles and long thin grass that acted like whips.

It began to rain in the evening. I was cold and sore all over. My pack weighed a ton and it became even more slippery because of the rain fall that my hands were constantly muddy from trying to support myself on rocks, plants and branches. It became dark as well and the rain never stopped. We had to walk with torches again and we still had a very sleep path up and down. I felt like death. At points I would have to get on my bum in order to reach the next foot placing downwards. We still have a handful of streams to cross. To do so in the dark was torture and it felt like it was never going to end. The only positive effect from the freezing water was that it would numb the pain of my knees and ankles for a short period, but of course I shaking from the cold.

The worst part was knowing that the only way it's going to get better is if you get to the camp site and the do to so you have to keep moving your feet even if your muscles are burning from being used all day. You know you're the only one who can make it better and your 'better; is technically a wet tent and cooking a dinner you don't really want to have. The second night was worse than the first night. Even though we were tired before, at least it hadn't rain all day. The second night, the walk was harder and the condition was punishing.

The teacher showed mercy and let everyone hang out in the hut because it was raining hard outside. We sat around talking I felt better and realised I should have done that the night before to cheer myself up. Abbie gave me a massage which was heaven on my shoulders. Talking to the others about how miserable they were on the walk gave each other emotional support and I felt so much better. Eventually the teachers forced everyone to go back to bed in their tents. Luckily Daisy and I were pitied and since it was impossible to put up our tent in the blistering rain, we were allowed to sleep inside the hut. Sleep still didn't come easy as my cuts covering my thighs and leg would open every time I moved. Everyone kept asking me how I managed so many cuts. They got cut themselves of course but no where near as much as me. I didn't have an answer. I'm a magnet to all things hazardous? Mother Nature really hates me? I don't forward chain mails warning me of bad luck?

The third day:
Everyone was relaxed on the third day knowing our track this time was going to be easy and short. Both turned out to be true even though day three's track involved the most river crossing. Since it rained the night before the river level raised and the current was strong. Where you plan to place your foot would be 20-30cm apart from where your foot would actually land. It wasn't too bad because the weather was sunny and the track was mostly flat. We made it to the bus in no time (around 3 to 4 hours I believe).

Sorry for all the complaining and moaning but I really want to remember this tramp because I've already forgotten how I felt on the Bronze one. I want to read this post before deciding whether or not I want to go on the final Silver tramp. I will then write another diary account if I do choose to go and will read that before deciding if I want to go for my Gold award.

The teachers tell me I will feel proud of myself in the days to come but I'm just too tired right now. I sure hope so. I'm definitely not going to hockey training tomorrow. Brendan is currently trying to talk me into going to the finals. All he has is 1. don't be a pussy, 2. repeat number 1. Okay he phrased is a lot better with advice and technicalities, but that's how I translated it because I think all my problems would be fixed if I stop being a pansy skirt wearing girl. Brendan on the other hand legitimately enjoys getting dirty and working his way through the bush. His tramp was done in summer so the weather was nicer and it got dark later and because of that he wish he had gone on my tramp instead (so who here is mentally unstable???). He was with SS in a group full of boys who don't know what it's like to be tired. I'm sure they run and lift weights in their sleep or something.